OWINGS MILLS — Julius Peppers’ long arms, imposing frame, relentless nature, rare pass-rushing skills and uncanny speed loom on the immediate horizon for Baltimore Ravens rookie offensive tackle Michael Oher.

Oher is a precocious young blocker who’s talented in his own right as a first-round draft pick with considerable athleticism and a nasty streak.

However, Oher’s impending encounter Saturday night against the Carolina Panthers’ four-time Pro Bowl defensive end represents the most difficult challenge of his first few months in the NFL.

Rather than be intimidated by Peppers’ rich pedigree, which includes 70½ career sacks in seven seasons, Oher’s embracing the challenge.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Oher said. “I’m playing against a great player. Julius Peppers is big, strong and physical. He just has all the tools. He’s a proven player in this league.

“You have to bring everything you’ve got to the table. I grew up watching this guy. Of course, you look forward to those types of games playing against great players.”

Peppers is taller and stronger than most defensive ends at 6-foot-7, 283 pounds. And he’s richer than them, too, playing this season under a one-year, $16.683 million franchise tender. The former University of North Carolina basketball player runs the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds and is coming off a career-high 14½-sack season last year that he capped by intercepting a pass in the Pro Bowl.

Peppers’ pass-rushing repertoire features several eye-popping moves. When he’s on his game, he’s considered to be the closest thing to a dominant defensive end to play in the league since the late Reggie White.

Peppers has blocked eight kicks and has recorded at least 10 sacks in all but two seasons. Along with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Peppers is one of the only two people to ever play in the Final Four and the Super Bowl.

And Oher has an impressive background of his own as an All-Southeastern Conference blocker and consensus All-American selection from Ole Miss.

In his NFL debut against the Washington Redskins, he impressed teammates and coaches by pancaking several defensive linemen, including first-round pick Brian Orakpo and hitting them so hard he knocked off his own helmet and opened up a gash on his forehead.

After heading to the locker room to get a few stitches to stop the bleeding, Oher returned to the game and resumed knocking people down with a bandage under his helmet.

“Michael came from the SEC, and that’s what we expect out of our guys,” said offensive guard Ben Grubbs, a former Auburn standout. “Michael has done a great job and I have faith that he’ll continue to do a great job. He doesn’t get intimidated by a lot of guys, and that’s impressive.

“Sometimes, a rookie is star-struck, but Michael isn’t like that. When I turn on the film Sunday, I expect to see some pretty good matchups. Put it like that.”

In other words, Grubbs is confident that Oher will be up to the task of walling off Peppers and the Panthers’ other front seven personnel.

It’s a sentiment and curiosity shared by the entire team.

“That was an emphasis in the meeting, the matchups in this game,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “This is a really talented team. Those outside guys that they’ve got are really tremendous players, so both of our tackles are really going to get pushed and challenged. And the linebackers are fast down there.”

From a strategic standpoint, there’s very little game-planning done in the preseason. The primary aim of these games is to prepare players for the rigors of the regular season, not to compile a sterling win-loss record.

For Oher, it’s a matter of maintaining his fundamentals while competing with one of the top defensive linemen in the game.

Oher will play roughly three quarters with the first-team offense before operating at left tackle with the second-team unit. He’s expected to see plenty of Peppers in his third preseason game.

“You have to study your opponent and trust the technique that the coaches have taught you,” Oher said. “Our defense is a great defense, so they prepare us for every game. I’m just looking forward to playing.

“I get up for everybody. I’ll just treat it like another game and go out there and execute and play to my ability.”